The court heard Harrison continued to explain to McIlroy that he understood allegations had been made against Jackson and Olding but he was unclear as to the content of the claims.

He messaged McIlroy about the police and said "they came to my house" and said the complainant was "making life very difficult for the lads" and he ended the conversation with the word "disaster".

The court also heard that Jackson received a message from Ulster Rugby in a text which stated: "Paddy phone your solicitor and give them a heads up."

He responded: "I don't have a solicitor, who should I contact?"

Paddy Jackson at Belfast Crown Court

The court heard later that McIlroy sent Harrison a WhatsApp message saying: "do paddy and Stu have a lawyer. Do his parents know."

Harrison responded: "I've no idea. If not my dad will now exactly who to go to."

McIlroy replied: "yeah sweet. This is ridiculous. Surely this is all going to get dropped."

Harrison told him: "Hopefully. I don't know..if it does come to it. hopefully just thrown out - just a silly girl who done something and then regretted it."

The rugby players were arrested on June 30, 2016 - two days after a then 19-year-old woman claimed she was raped by Jackson, 26, while being forced to perform oral sex on his team-mate Olding, 24.

Both men have denied rape and claim any sexual activity in Jackson's bedroom in his South Belfast home was consensual.

In a series of messages between Harrison, 25 and McIlroy, on the afternoon and evening of June 30, the friends discussed the arrests of Jackson and Olding, with McIlory asking Harrison if he knew the complainant's name.

Harrison told McIloy her name and said "hopefully it will be thrown out".

He wrote she is "just a silly girl who has done something then regretted it".

Blane McIlroy at Belfast Crown Court

And later that day, after police contacted McIlory, he messaged Harrison to inform him he had to attend Musgrave Street police station, Harrison replied: "I'd say leave your phone."

Harrison assured McIlroy he would contact his father to get information about legal advice if necessary.

Harrison later told McIlroy that his father has not said much about the situation but added he has said: "Could get thrown out. Said very significant because yer one followed Jacko up the stairs."

Harrison said he had explained the men had been drinking on the night in question and McIlory wanted to know if he could visit his friends while they were in police custody.

Other texts and WhatsApp messages between the charged men and a number of other friends were collated by the PSNI in 2016 after claims of rape were made against Jackson and Olding.

The texts are alleged to show before the arrests the men discussed the night in question and shared their view of the women at the party.

Rory Harrison at Belfast Crown Court

In one exchange a member of the JACOME WhastApp group referred to as AA, wrote: "Did you pass spit-roast brasses?

Blane McIlroy: "legends."

AA replied: "why are we all such legends?"

McIlory replied: "it's ridiculous."

McIlroy told a member of the group "pumped a bird with Jackson on Monday - roasted her."

Then another from a member referred to as CG asked Olding: "how was she?"

Olding replied: "she was very loose"

CG: "Any pictures or stories Simon. Where you all end up."

Olding: "cutters, Ollie' and back."

CG: "any sluts gets fucked?"

Olding: "precious secrets."

AA: "i said tonight is your lucky night"

Olding: "we are all top shaggers"

Olding: "there was a bit of spit roasting last night fellas"

Jackson: "there was a lot of spit roasting last night"

Olding: "it was like a merry go round at the carnival"

A deleted WhatsApp showed McIlroy wrote to Harrison: "what the fuck was going on last night. It was hilarious."

JE : "who? are they brasses?"

McIlroy: "aye"

JE: "fucking fantastic"

Another message read: "just a sample how loose JACOME can be"

McIlroy wrote in a separate WhatsApp group called The Juicers, "Love Belfast sluts" along with a photo of himself sitting on a sofa in Jackson's house with three women who attended the party on the night in question.